It’s easy to forget that Mark Wahlberg once had a career as the badly-named musician, Marky Mark, and it’s fan favorite action movies like 2007’s Shooter that have erased those tone-deaf memories from people’s minds. Now, 18 years after it first opened in theaters, audiences are rediscovering the once-beloved action thriller that starred Wahlberg alongside a killer supporting cast. It might not have won over critics or raked it in at the box office, but the film is currently a major success on streaming.
Shooter is currently streaming on Paramount+, and viewers cannot get enough of the tense action thriller. Shooter is currently the ninth most popular movie on the streaming platform (at the time of writing), with Liam Neeson’s surprisingly good The Naked Gun remake holding firm in the top spot. As previously mentioned, Shooter might not be Wahlberg’s biggest action thriller, but it holds a special place in the hearts of fans. The film was released in 2007 and directed by the renowned action director Antoine Fuqua (The Equalizer, Training Day, Olympus Has Fallen).
Based on the novel Point of Impact, written by Stephen Hunter, the film starred Wahlberg as Bob Lee Swagger, a former Marine sniper who is framed for an assassination attempt on the President of the United States. With the corrupt authorities against him, Swagger must work in secret to clear his name. The official synopsis reads:
“A top Marine sniper, Bob Lee Swagger, leaves the military after a mission goes awry and disappears without a trace. Swagger is coaxed back into service after high-profile government officials convince him to help thwart a plot against the President of the United States. Swagger realizes he has been betrayed and becomes the target of a nationwide manhunt. Instead of hiding, he seeks revenge against some of the most powerful and corrupt leaders in the free world.”
‘Shooter’ Completely Divided Audiences & Critics
We said that Shooter is a fan favorite, and its Rotten Tomatoes score proves it. The film divided critics, as it holds a 47% RT score. However, audiences responded far better to the one-man-army action thriller, as it boasts a much stronger audience score of 80%. “Action-packed from the beginning, that’s what I want from an action movie! That’s what you get with Mark Wahlberg! Absolutely great,” wrote one user on Rotten Tomatoes, while another said, “Screw the ‘critics.’ [The] movie was good fun. Violent, yes.”
We also said that Shooter had a killer supporting cast, and we weren’t lying. Alongside Wahlberg, the film also stars Kate Mara, Danny Glover, Michael Peña, Rhona Mitra, and Louis Ferreira. When Shooter was released in theaters, it was neither a giant win nor a flop. The film grossed roughly $95 million worldwide against a budget of $61 million. As a result, it was still a success on paper. However, $95 million is hardly enough of a box office take to launch the major new action franchise Paramount might have been looking for, and fans of the movie have been desperate for since 2007.
- Release Date
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March 22, 2007
- Runtime
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124 Minutes
